What Christmas is Really All About
by roundin3rd
Summary: Pacey has everything this holiday season, but when second thoughts cause him to look back on his life, his guardian angel will come and show him the true meaning of Christmas. r 'n r Complete.
1. Default Chapter

"Uh, excuse me Mr. Witter," Pacey looked up. "What's up Cory?" "Well, the Guinness and the Sam Adams taps have run out, there is a toilet overflowing in the women's bathroom, and we are packed to capacity tonight with very anxious and annoyed people waiting outside and we can't seat them."  
  
"Oh, okay well," Pacey put his paperwork down and got up. "get someone in the bathroom to go fix the situation in the bathroom, I talked to the beer company guy yesterday and they were supposed to come today, and we're just a little crowded to night, but it's the Saturday before Christmas, what do you expect?"  
  
***  
  
Pacey had successfully opened a restaurant in Boston called Over the Monster near Fenway Park. The restaurant gained huge popularity within a month of business. The place is packed almost every night and is a great stop before going to a Red Sox game.  
  
***  
  
"Mr. Witter, your wife is on the phone." "Thank you, I'll take it in my office." "Hello." "Hey Pace, how are things going?" Joey asked. He sighed. "Crazy and hectic." "Hm, guess what's on tonight?" "What?" His tired voice echoed through the receiver. "It's A Wonderful Life, are you going to be home in time to watch it?" "Hm, I don't think so, I have to stay and make sure everything runs smoothly and no other catastrophes catapult out of control. "Don't wait up for me, it looks like I'm not going to get home until after midnight." "Okay Pace, I'll let you get back to your work, see you when you get home, I love you." "I love you too Jo, bye." "Bye Pacey."  
  
"Mr. Witter a customer is complaining about the food." Pacey closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. "This is going to be a long night."  
  
***  
  
Pacey pulled into their driveway around one-thirty in the morning. He trudged up the set of stairs to their apartment and slowly opened the door. There were no lights on, except for the glow of the Christmas tree in the living room. He walked down the hall and slipped quietly into their bedroom. Joey was asleep peacefully and had a cast of light across her face from the streetlights.  
  
Pacey loosened his tie and changed into pajamas. He got into bed kissed Joey on the cheek, rolled onto his side and slowly closed his heavy eyes. 


	2. Chapter 2

Joey opened her eyes as the sweet smell of bacon wafted into their room. She got up and walked to the kitchen. "Mmm, something smells good." She kissed Pacey. "Good morning sweetheart." Pacey said. "What time did you get home last night, I never heard you come in." Joey asked.  
  
"Uh, I don't know it was around one-thirty." "One-thirty?" "Yeah we had some problems but nothing big." Pacey said. "Here you are," Pacey handed her a steaming plate of scrambled eggs, topped with a sprig of parsley, seasoned bacon, and two toasted English muffins. "This looks awesome Pace."  
  
"Eat up, because I don't know about you, but I still have some shopping to do." Pacey said. "I finished my shopping last week," She smiled at him, "but I'll come with you if you want." "Who do you still have to shop for?" She asked. "Hm, well unfortunately you can't come with me because I still have to do some shopping for you my dear." Pacey said.  
  
"Oh, I'll just stay home and wrap the presents I bought for you." Joey said. "Hm, and where might these presents be huh?" Pacey got up and walked toward the computer room. "No, Pacey come back here!" Joey grabbed his arm and spun him around so he was facing her.  
  
Pacey wrapped his arms around Joey and pulled her closer. "You're not going to tell me what my presents are?" He whined. "No, you can wait until Christmas to find out what you got sir." Joey said. "Oh really." "Uh-huh."  
  
"Wait a minute," Pacey looked up. "huh, would you look at that, mistletoe!" Joey chuckled as she kissed him. "Have fun shopping, say hi to the crowds for me." She walked down the hall to the bathroom. "Uh, oh, yeah the crowds." Pacey mumbled as he grabbed his coat and set off.  
  
***  
  
Pacey spent the day walking around malls and window-shopping. He knew that he had found the perfect gifts for Joey. While he was walking back to his car, Pacey stopped to put change in a Salvation Army collection bucket. He set his bags on the ground and took out his change pouch. Someone bumped his arm from behind and sent the change scattering onto the ground. "Excuse me sir," Pacey said.  
  
The man never turned around. Pacey managed to pick up most of the change and put it in the bucket. As he started to get up, someone else bumped him from behind and almost knocked him back onto the ground. Again, the woman never acknowledged what she had just done. ***  
  
When Pacey got home he noticed that he was missing a present. It wasn't anything big really; it was a calendar that he had bought for Joey for her office. 'Someone must have taken it while I was picking up the change.' He thought to himself. Who would do such a thing? The day wasn't going well for him. 


	3. Chapter 3

Pacey went to the restaurant early Monday morning to finish some paperwork. By eleven he was halfway finished as the bartenders and bus boys started to arrive. "Good morning, good morning everyone, Christmas is in the air!" said the bartender, Kathleen. "Yes it is." Cory said.  
  
Pacey came out of his office, "Okay, I finished the paperwork and I'm going to go run to the post office now." "Make sure you open on time and everything is ready." Cory saluted to him. "Yes sir!"  
  
There were small crowds throughout the day and hoards of people were starting to arrive for dinner. Then it started, everything bad thing that could happen, happened. There was a shortage of waitresses and waiters, and cooks in the kitchen were either on vacation, or out with the flu. Customers were staring to get impatient.  
  
Cory hurried into the kitchen. "Mr. Witter, the customers are starting to get irritable and there is a very drunk guy hitting on Kathleen and she can't concentrate on 'bar tending,' without Michael helping her but of course, Michael is sick and this drunk guy is really starting to annoy her so I suggest you get out there before total chaos erupts and we have to abandon ship." Pacey sighed, "okay fine, hold down ship and I'll be right back."  
  
Pacey walked over to the bar and approached the very intoxicated man. "Hello sir, how are you doing tonight?" "Oh, very- hey about about that bartender huh, she's a sexy one." "Uh, yeah about that, uh how about you take a little walk somewhere else." Pacey said. "What what're you saying, The drunk man mumbled, "are you kicking me out?" "Well, uh, in a matter of speaking, yes." "We do not need people who have had a little too much to drink, harassing our employees. "So, Pacey grabbed his arm, If you can kindly," "Don't you touch me!" The man jumped up and punched Pacey in the mouth.  
  
"Ohh!" Pacey grabbed his chin. Several waiters came over to help Pacey. The drunken guy ran out of the restaurant before anyone could catch him. "Mr. Witter," Cory ran over to him, "Mr. Witter, are you okay?" "Oh, my lip's bleeding, can you get me some ice?" "That damn bastard." Kathleen bagged up some ice and gave it to Pacey.  
  
"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked. Pacey sat down on a barstool. "Oh yeah, I think I'll live." "You know what, Mr. Witter, you should just go home, I can take care of everything." "No Cory I can't." "Yes, you can, I'll manage." Cory said. "Okay, fine."  
  
(((  
  
Pacey sat in traffic for about an hour. His head was throbbing and his lip started to bleed again. He slammed off the radio and banged his head against the steering wheel. All of a sudden, something slammed into the back of his car. "Shit!" "This isn't happening, ah, this is turning into the worst day of my life."  
  
Pacey ambled out of the car just as the person who hit him, sped past him at about seventy miles per hour. "Hey! Hey!" "What the, you jerk!"  
  
Pacey jumped back into his car and tried to hunt down the guy who hit his car, with no luck. Pacey kept on driving until he pulled over onto the side of a bridge. He got out and looked down to the freezing water below.  
  
He put his head into his hands. "This is the worst day of my life." He mumbled to himself. He sighed.  
  
"I wish I had never been born." 


	4. Chapter 4

Pacey looked down at the icy water below. Jumping off didn't look so bad to him at that moment. A loud noise from behind him interrupted his thoughts. Pacey turned around and there was a man on the ground. "Oh, hey, are you alright?" Pacey helped him up. "Oh yes I'm fine, I can't die again y'know!" "What?" "Oh, allow me to introduce myself, my name is Charles and I was sent here to stop you from making a terrible mistake."  
  
"Wait a minute, okay yeah, I've seen this movie." Pacey said. Charles shook his head, "no you haven't," He pulled out a apple from his coat, "but your wife has told you about it." Come along we have much to see." He tossed the apple down to the water and grabbed Pacey's arm.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute, how did you know my wife said that to me?" Pacey asked. "How do you know my wife?" "Oh, I know a lot of things." Charles pulled him along. "Hey, hey where are you taking me?" Pacey asked. "What I didn't tell you?" Charles said. "Tell me what?' Pacey asked.  
  
"Oh, dear I forget a lot of things, please forgive me, Hi, my name is Charles." "Yeah you already told me that." "Oh, I did?" "Yes you did but you failed to explain where you are taking me." Pacey said. "Oh," Charles stopped walking, "I'm your guardian angel and they sent me down here to stop you from making a terrible decision so I can get my wings."  
  
"Heh, you, you're my guardian angel?" Pacey said. "Yes indeed I am." Pacey closed his eyes, "now I know I'm dreaming." "Well, right now you don't exist." Charles said. "See, you said you wished you were never born, and if you look around you, know one knows who you are." "Here," a cell phone magically appeared in front of him, "call your friend Dawson, see if he recognizes you.  
  
"Yeah, see if he recognizes me, ha!" Pacey mumbled as he dialed the number to Dawson's house in L.A. No one answered. "No one's there." Pacey said. "Precisely, which is why we must be going." Charles said. Pacey sighed and walked away with Charles.  
  
***  
  
"Where are we?" Pacey asked. "This your house, nice huh?" The house looked terrible. An ugly puke-brown color was partially painted on the house; the rest of the paint was peeling off. Pacey looked at the driveway, his explorer wasn't there, instead there was a beat-up black accord. "This isn't my house, I doesn't look like this." Pacey said. Charles shook his head, "yes it is." They walked up the driveway, opened the door and walked up the flight of stairs to their apartment. When Pacey opened the door he couldn't believe what he saw.  
  
He didn't even recognize it. The kitchen was black, and had a stove, refrigerator and a small, dirty sink. "What happened here?" Pacey smelled smoke and walked down the hall to the living room. He couldn't believe what he saw.  
  
Pacey stood frozen on the spot and choked out her name. "Jo, Jo, Joey!" She was sitting on an old, ripped couch watching a cheap TV set and she was smoking a cigarette. He walked over to her she never even saw him. Charles cleared his throat from behind Pacey. "Uh, you were never born, and you don't exist." Pacey waved his hand in front of Joey's face. She never flinched.  
  
He noticed that she had a black eye. "W-what happened to her?" Pacey asked. "Oh, that, hm, her boyfriend abuses her, yeah some big shot lawyer." "He cares more about his money than he does her." He bought her this, this, dump, no offense," "Hm, none taken." Pacey said. "Anyways he bought her this place so that no one would know about her." "He always said that she made him look bad."  
  
"Why, doesn't she tell anyone?" Pacey asked. "He threatens her, she's too scared to leave or tell anyone." Oh, where is that bastard, I'll kill him!" "Hold it, you're forgetting one thing, you're non-existent, you were never born, you," "-okay!" "I get it." Pacey said.  
  
Pacey had never seen Joey like this. He had never known her to date stupid, guys that abuse her, she knows better than that. "Come, we have to see one more thing." Charles said. "No I don't want to leave." Pacey said. Charles lightly touched Pacey's arm we must go."  
  
They traveled ahead until they were back onto a street Pacey didn't recognize. "Where are we?" He asked. "Just watch that corner and tell me who comes out." Charles said. Pacey stood, his eyes fixated on the corner of the alley. His breath caught in his throat as he saw who it was.  
  
It was a couple of druggies; and Dawson Leery was walking with them. A big guy came up from behind Dawson and slammed him against the wall. "Hey!" Pacey yelled. "You got my money?" The big guy asked. "Well uh, yeah about that," Dawson stuttered. He slammed him against the wall harder. "Ahhhh!" "No, no I don't have your money!" He cried. "No money huh?" "Well then we have a problem." "Jay, take care of him. The guy threw Dawson to another guy and they took him down back into the alley. "Hey, hey, don't you touch him!" Pacey went to punch him, and his hand went right through the man's jacket.  
  
"What, how, what happened to him?" "What happened to his dream of directing and making movies?" Pacey asked. Charles sat him down. "Dawson gave up his dream of directing after he broke his camera in eighth grade and didn't have anyone to star in his movie he wanted to make." He said. So, because of me, he didn't pursue his directing career?" Pacey said. "Nope, when he was a senior in high school, he got hooked on drugs, his parents kicked him out of the house and he moved to Boston."  
  
"And, just like any druggie, he started to rob stores and was stealing money." He's been sneaky, and so far he hasn't been caught, but it'll happen soon." Charles said. Oh, man." Pacey put his face in his hands.  
  
"I don't want to be here any more." "I've seen many things that have been horribly burned in my mind and Joey and Dawson have horrible lives just because of me." "To think I was so selfish, only thinking about myself when there are plenty of people who need more this Christmas, and I was worrying about getting paperwork done on time."  
  
I need to go back, can you send me back." "I-I can't live like this, I will appreciate my life more and not only think of myself."  
  
"Very well, that'll do." Charles said. "My work here is done." "Go, go run to your house!" Pacey smiled and began to run. "Thank you Charles!" He called back.  
  
"No, Pacey, thank you." 


	5. Chapter 5

Pacey opened his eyes and looked down and the water below him. A police car pulled next to him. "Hey!" "What are you doing?" The officer asked. Pacey turned around. "Wait, you can see me?" "Clear as day." "Something wrong?" The officer asked.  
  
"Hey, you're Pacey Witter, you own that restaurant Over the Monster right?" "Y-yeah, that's me." Pacey said. "Is this Everett, Mass?" "Is it Christmas Eve?" Pacey asked. "Why yes it is, and yeah it's Christmas Eve, why aren't you home with your family?" "Ha, ha!" "I'm home!" Pacey's spirit filled with joy. He started to run down the road towards his house. "Uh, Merry Christmas officer!" Pacey called back. "Thank you!" "Have a safe holiday!" The officer said.  
  
Pacey ran down blocks of streets and alleys. He had to get home and see Joey; he couldn't wait any longer. Something caught his eye and he stopped.  
  
A homeless man was asleep and a small bucket was placed next to him. Pacey reached into his wallet and took out a twenty-dollar bill. He placed it in the bucket and whispered, "Merry Christmas."  
  
He smiled and turned away. He turned onto Clinton Street and ran faster. Pacey tore open the door and ran up the stairs two at a time. He stopped and slowly opened the door. He could hear soft Christmas music playing in the dining room, but he didn't see Joey.  
  
"Jo, Joey?" He walked into the living room. "Pacey?" She walked out of their bedroom. "Joey!" He lifted her up and hugged her as hard as he could. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes." He said. "Good to see you too Pace." Pacey put her down and kissed her. There was a loud knock at the door. "They're here!" Joey said as she walked to the door.  
  
"Who's here?" Pacey said. "Everyone!" Joey opened the door as Dawson, Mrs. Leery, Lily, Bessie, Bodie, Alexander, Jack, Doug, Amy, and Grams entered carrying truckloads of presents. "Dawson!" Pacey came over and gave his best friend a hug. "Merry Christmas!" "Merry Christmas everyone!"  
  
Joey took the presents into the living room where everyone sat down and chatted. Pacey sat down on the couch and put his arm around Joey. Lily and Alexander were sitting near the tree and Lily accidentally bumped it and a bell ornament rang. Pacey looked over at the tree.  
  
"Hey, my teacher says that every time a bell rings and angel gets his wings!" Lily said. "Yeah that's right." Pacey said. He got up and looked out the window. There was some one walking on the street. Pacey could see who it was, but then the man looked up and Pacey saw that it was Charles. Charles looked back at him and shouted, "Thanks for everything, I got my wings!" Pacey smiled and waved back at him. Joey walked over to him. "Who's that?" She asked. "Uh, just a friend." He said.  
  
Pacey turned around and looked at all of his friends and family. They were all so happy and cheerful. He wrapped his arm around Joey and walked back over to the couch. His life was finally where he wanted it, surrounded by people he loved, and people who loved him back.  
  
It was at that moment when he realized that this, is what Christmas is really all about. 


End file.
